I think I understand this viewpoint. He's seen as kind of a folk hero for the downtrodden, urban, single mother-raised sensitive black American. The gangsta Bob Marley.

If we're talking about widespread cultural influence, Pac is the more relevant artist.
But I don't think anybody honestly believes he was a better rapper than BIG. Better songwriter, certainly. More diverse. But Biggie, insensitive misogynistic oaf that he was, would lay the kid out in a battle.

So in terms of raw, innate talent, its BIG.

No love for the old school huh? ...except for demonrail's post.

Afrika bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force
N.W.A.
Public Enemy
Ice-T
Erik B & Rakim

...damn you dudes are crazy.

They all seem to be into new pop-rap.

KanyefuckingWest over a number of Public Enemy (to name one absentee) albums that totally sweep his entire career off in a matter of seconds. I rest my case.

apples and oranges.
in terms of influence, yeah Public Enemy are a lot more important to the evolution of hip-hop.
when it comes to my own enjoyment, i would take any Kanye album over any artist you guys have mentioned.
i'm 20 years old, grew up in a different era. i do appreciate NWA for example but The Chronic sounds a lot fresher to my ears than Straight Outta Compton, sorry.

i don't expect anyone to agree with my list. even though i doubt most of you guys have given Kanye a proper chance. i fail to see how a De La fan wouldn't find his first two albums great.

Nas, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep, DMX.. new pop-rap? HAHA k.

ha ok, that explains. Ready to Die has the same vibe as 36 Chambers.. heck, the ONLY guest he accepted on his debut was Method Man due to how much he loved Wu-Tang.

it's funny though, people around my age always call my taste "dusty" but here Biggie is considered "new pop-rap". ;)

if we're being reality here, then R2D only has 2 poppy songs, which also happen to be the best songs on the album.

Can someone recommend me a Tupac album?

tupac took bubble baths and had a nose ring i do not fuck with gays

Me Against the World is his best, followed by All Eyez on Me.

what about Prodigy? apparently he might be a homosexual, still one of the hardest ever.

fucking dudes ain't no thing i'm talking about bubble baths and that fairy shit

lol, fair enough

Thanks

I was under the impression we were supposed to name our own personal top 25. The ones that meant the most to us over the years. That's what I tried to do. I didn't pick "the most influential of all time" or whatever. And I think if you look at my list again you'd see that at least half of it isn't what I'd call "new pop rap" or whatever. But whatever.

Does Mary J. Blige's What's the 411 qualify as "new pop-rap"? It's one of my favourite summer albums, either way.

what's so wrong with a little pop anyway?

i can listen to FutureSex/LoveSounds the whole way through tbh.. MULTIPLE TIMES. are you jealous??

Are there really no Antipop Consortium fans here? I find that surprising.

Me!

Im not versed enough in rap to make too much of a commentary on the genre, ive still never heard a Drake or Lil Wayne song. But my fave APC album is Arrythmia. They can be quite hit and miss at times but when they nail it its gold stuff.

Rob Instigator's Personal Top 25 Hip to the Hop Favorite LP's
(I am old...and getting older) these are not in any order except for the first one is my all time fave


Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
http://youtu.be/fyR09SP9qdA

Public Enemy - Fear of A Black Planet
http://youtu.be/8PaoLy7PHwk

Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black
http://youtu.be/zrFOb_f7ubw

Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
http://youtu.be/SUK4G0AwFLs

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
http://youtu.be/BptQHAW2T5M

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
http://youtu.be/2TN-kDEKxF0

Outkast - Aquemini
http://youtu.be/ZjRPBrmu1WQ

OUtkast - Stankonia
http://youtu.be/fVyVIsvQoaE

The Roots - Things Fall Apart
http://youtu.be/qm7Xt2Qsjcg

The Roots - illadelph Halflife
http://youtu.be/_I1IX2cqjQ4

Gang Starr - Step In The Arena
http://youtu.be/yTES6Zr4PB0

A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
http://youtu.be/lRrM6tfOHds

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
http://youtu.be/Qapou-3-fM8

De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
http://youtu.be/EDyHftGcDKg

De La Soul - Stakes Is High
http://youtu.be/lGDZ2E-Jheg

RUN DMC - King of Rock
http://youtu.be/qXzWlPL_TKw

RUN DMC - Raising Hell
http://youtu.be/dA8DsUN6g_k

Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang
http://youtu.be/bjZRAvsZf1g

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
http://youtu.be/AmutXdqksIY

Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
http://youtu.be/DOaHLsNPM88

Digable Planets - Reachin'
http://youtu.be/sl-pjb7y3y0

Black Star - Black Star
http://youtu.be/Rx5aVI2zsFE

Digital Underground - Sex Packets
http://youtu.be/7fbHOAbOcNI

Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
http://youtu.be/qAfrhmIvZ_s

Geto Boys - Geto Boys
http://youtu.be/hGKR5Oe-4Oc

Outkast are just brilliant in every way

^^^yes.
i hope Andre will finally drop his solo album this year.


also, i hope you guys will forgive me for forgetting to put Midnight Marauders in my list.

please forgive the shitty fucking horrible vevo ads fofr suck ass fucks at the beggining of some of these

my favorite rap album is ghostface's "Supreme Clientele". I've listened to it pretty much on a consistent basis since I was 14. I'm 24 now. In the car, in the gym, at home, walking around, eating. I can't remember places I haven't listened to it.

After that, the ones you'd expect. 36 Chambers, It Takes a Nation of Millions, Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Paid in Full, Midnight Marauders. Criminal Minded. Geto Boys.

Some wildcards would be Company Flow's "Funcrusher Plus", I think the Big Boi's "Sir Lucious Left Foot" is as good as any hip hop ever made. I love first Jeru the Damaja lp. I would take Vaudeville Villain, even over Madvillainy. Id go with the first Roots, and then Phreology, pop Roots as it is.

UGK is only second to Wu Tang stuff for my my most listened to Hip Hop group but I never listen to their records all the way through.

Current stuff, I'm not ashamed to say it, I like Drake. His music is pretty. Rick Ross. And then Doomtree, BIG Krit, ASAP Rocky, all these dudes people are freaking out about.

I'm pretty stoned right now. But I've been back on rap for a while now. I have trouble listening to noise now that I have responsibilities and stuff.

batreleaser i worry about you i hope you're still on hard drugs

nice post. i like your taste, batreleaser.

nah im good

just trying to nerd out on message boards less in general

today is the 18th year anniversary of Illmatic!! LISTEN TO ILLMATIC TODAY.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Nas' "Illmatic"

Dammit. I can't believe I still haven't done this. That's a sure sign that I'm stressed the fuck out. Its almost the weekend, and I will get it done.

Nas all day today kids.

The beats Clams Casino gives ASAP Rocky would make any idiot sound good. ASAP himself is pretty shit

strictly by my own sense of taste, not necessarily cultural or musical impact or significance

and also in no particular order

Tribe Called Quest "The Love Movement"
Makaveli "The Seven Day Theory"
e-40 "The Element of Surprise"
Prince Rakeim "Birth of a Prince"
Dr Dooom "First Come First Served"
Gravediggaz "Six Feet Deep"
Bone Thugz N Harmony "The Art of War"
NWA "EFIL4ZAGGIN"
Snoop Dogg "Doggiestyle"
Outkast "Aquemini"
Busta Rhymes "Extinction Level Event"
The Fugees "The Score"
Scarface "The Diary"
Game "Doctor's Advocate"
Luniz "Lunatik Muzik"
Dead Prez "Let's Get Free"
Too $hort "Cocktails"
Sugafree "Stree Gospel"
DJ Quick "Rhythmalism"
The Grouch "Don't Talk To Me"
Warren G "Regulate.. The G Funk Era"
Pharcyde "Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde"
Slick Rick "Da Art of Storytellin' Part One"
Black Knights "Every Night is a Black Knight"
Goodie MOB "Soul Food"

I think ATCQ is booooring. Sorry, guys. Don't hate me.
I can't be the only one... be honest with yourselves now.

First off, fuck most Hip Hop pre 87, the flows are weak and the beats repetitive. There's good stuff, but overall, the genre was still young and still finding itself. Very few people would argue that was its pique. Anyways, here's the best list I can come up with (not necesarily a "best of all time" list, but merely how I would rank my favorites)

1. Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers- Wu-Tang Clan
2. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx- Raekwon
3. I'm Thraxx by Lil B
4. The Chronic by Dr. Dre
5. Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne
6. Ironman by Ghostface Killah
7. Pilot Talk I&II by Curren$y
8. Illmatic by Nas
9. Liquid Swords by GZA
10. Ready to Die by Notorious B.I.G.
11. Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg
12. Ridin' Dirty by UGK
13. Flockaveli by Waka Flocka Flame
14. City of Syrup by Big Moe
15. Return of 4eva by Big K.R.I.T.

Any questions?

This is so true. A$AP says absolutely nothing actually worth hearing, and genuinely seems more interested in doing drugs than making music. He stumbled upon a classic mixtape, and I predict we will hear very little even close to that compelling again.

Sidenote: all my hip hop heads would be well served to get on this shit (eXquire in particular)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ijOe3sGEk

word. he's basically an industry puppet. he gets help with everything, from the beat selection, to the lyrics, even to the clothes he wears. tweeny kids will eat it up though.

nice list, viewtiful. Return of 4Eva is the quintessential car music.

viewtiful prefers Ironman, batreleaser says Supreme Clientele, NR's fav is Pretty Toney and mine is Fishscale. that's the greatness of Ghost. :)